The Song That Played Every Friday

Imogen worked in a small office with ten other people. Every Friday afternoon, her coworker Quentin played an old song. It came from the break room radio.

Imogen bekerja di sebuah kantor kecil bersama sepuluh orang lainnya. Setiap Jumat sore, rekan kerjanya, Quentin, memutar sebuah lagu lama. Lagu itu berasal dari radio di ruang istirahat.

The song was slow and a little strange. It sounded like nothing else on the radio. Imogen didn't know the singer or the song's name.

Lagu itu lambat dan agak aneh. Bunyinya tidak seperti lagu lain di radio. Imogen tidak tahu siapa penyanyinya atau apa judul lagunya.

"Why do you play that song every week?" Imogen asked him one Friday.

"Kenapa kamu memutar lagu itu setiap minggu?" tanya Imogen kepadanya pada suatu hari Jumat.

Quentin looked up from his coffee. "It's just a habit," he said quietly. Then he turned back to his desk.

Quentin mendongak dari kopinya. "Cuma kebiasaan," katanya pelan. Lalu ia kembali menghadap mejanya.

Imogen thought that was an odd answer. She wondered if he simply liked old music. Maybe there was another reason.

Imogen merasa itu jawaban yang aneh. Ia bertanya-tanya apakah Quentin memang hanya menyukai musik lama. Mungkin ada alasan lain.

The next Friday, she watched Quentin closely. He pressed play at exactly three o'clock. Then he sat still and listened. He did not talk to anyone.

Jumat berikutnya, ia mengamati Quentin dengan saksama. Quentin menekan tombol putar tepat pukul tiga. Lalu ia duduk diam dan mendengarkan. Ia tidak berbicara dengan siapa pun.

After the song ended, Imogen walked over to his desk. "I don't mean to be nosy," she said. "But that song means something to you."

Setelah lagu itu selesai, Imogen berjalan ke meja Quentin. "Aku tidak bermaksud usil," katanya. "Tapi lagu itu berarti sesuatu bagimu."

Quentin nodded slowly. "My grandmother sang it to me on Fridays after school," he said. "She died two years ago this month."

Quentin mengangguk pelan. "Nenekku menyanyikannya untukku pada hari Jumat sepulang sekolah," katanya. "Dia meninggal dua tahun lalu bulan ini."

"I'm sorry," Imogen said softly. "I didn't know."

"Aku turut berduka," kata Imogen dengan lembut. "Aku tidak tahu."

"It's okay," Quentin said. "The song makes me think of her kitchen. It makes me think of fresh bread too. It's a nice memory, not a sad one."

"Tidak apa-apa," kata Quentin. "Lagu itu mengingatkanku pada dapurnya. Juga pada aroma roti segar. Itu kenangan yang indah, bukan yang menyedihkan."

Imogen smiled. "Then I hope you keep playing it every Friday."

Imogen tersenyum. "Kalau begitu aku harap kamu terus memutarnya setiap Jumat."

The next week, the song started again at three o'clock. Imogen brought Quentin a cup of tea. She sat down quietly beside him.

Minggu berikutnya, lagu itu mulai lagi pada pukul tiga. Imogen membawakan Quentin secangkir teh. Ia duduk diam-diam di sampingnya.